For those of you who enjoy my more savory dishes, I sincerely apologize for all of the baked goods I have been posting lately. Don’t worry, I will get back into some great dinner recipes here soon. For now, I’ve got to stick with the cookies. Hey, Christmas is right around the corner! I’ve been baking up a storm here lately. It’s been fun, stressful, amazing, annoying, and I’m glad to be out of the kitchen for the day ;). Also, I hate my oven, but you all know this already. Seriously though, I do love baking cookies. We just all need a break once in a while! These Biscoff Peanut Butter Blossoms are just fantastic. They take your traditional peanut butter blossom to a whole new level of flavor. I’ve been on quite the cookie butter kick here lately, and because I was just recently in TJ (Trader Joes) territory, I was able to stock up on jars and jars (and jars) of cookie butter. If you were wondering, no, we do not have a TJs yet. It’s sad, I know. I here that it is coming soon though! I’m crossing my fingers for no more delays! If you are like me and don’t have a Trader Joes, then Biscoff spread will work just fine. Read ahead for the recipe and a fantastic beer pairing that you do not want to miss out on!

Recipe Fun Facts:

I’ve made peanut butter blossoms before and here is the recipe for some more traditional versions. Don’t mind the photos or the content. I’ve “grown” a lot in the last year, when it comes to this stuff =). Anyway, I wanted to jazz these cookies up this year, and the addition of the cookie butter is the perfect way to go.

I found in my original recipe that my cooking time was way too long. The things you learn when a year has passed. This could partly be because I’m using a different (much older) oven. My cookies took more like 7-8 minutes to bake, instead of 9-10 minutes. My advice would be to keep an eye on them as they bake, and when they just begin to crinkle, take them out of the oven.

Another critical step is to make sure you chill the kisses (or hugs). You really need to place these guys on the cookies soon after they come out of the oven. They have a tendency to melt if you don’t chill them. I like to place them in the freezer for at least a half hour. I suggest you do the same.

**Also – use any kiss (or hug) that you would like. I’m on a peppermint kick, so I used peppermint/white chocolate kisses for this recipe.**

Beer Love:

We just recently got back from the bay area and we may or may not have stocked up on a ton of beer that we can’t get here in Colorado. Ok, so we DEFINITELY stocked up. I think we have enough beer to last us years (or at least a few months)…Anyway, in our scavenging, we picked up every can of 21st Amendment we could get our hands on. This includes their Baltic-Style Porter: He Said. This beer is fantastic. When you pick up the 4-pack you will get two versions of He Said. One will be a Belgian-style Tripel brewed with pumpkin and spices (which is also delicious) and a Baltic-style porter; also brewed with pumpkin and spices. The porter is so robust and rich in spice and richness. It’s a great holiday brew and goes great with sweets. It’s a great pairing for your cookie tray this holiday season!

Have a great week everyone!

Biscoff Peanut Butter Blossoms

Prep Time 15 min

Cook Time 8 min

Total Time 23 min

Yield 20

These aren''t your everyday peanut butter blossoms. Throw some cookie butter into the mix and you have a whole new cookie to add to your cookie tray!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup pure cane granulated sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup cookie butter or spread (ex: Biscoff)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup pure cane granulated sugar (for rolling)

12 Hershey Kiss Candies (your preference), chilled

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and situate an oven rack to the very center of the oven. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer) fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, cookie butter and unsalted butter. Mix on medium until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Fix the speed on your stand mixer to the lowest setting, and add the dry mixture in 1/2 cup increments to the wet until completely combined.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until the cookies just begin to crinkle. Remove immediately from oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes before placing the kisses directly in the center of each cookie.

Remove immediately from the cookies tray and place on a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

Hi everyone! I'm Justine! Along with some help from my beau, Zach, we are combining bold and inspirational cooking (and baking) with craft beer. Drop us a line with any questions or comments! Thanks for checking us out! Read More